Display device

ABSTRACT

According to one embodiment, a display device includes a first basement, a first folding line and a second folding line. The first basement has a first area which is a display area including a display element, and a second area and a third area which are non-display areas and are adjacent to the first area. The first folding line is located at a border of the first area and the second area. The second folding line is located at a border of the first area and the third area. The first folding line extends in a first direction, and the second folding line extends in a second direction intersecting the first direction.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority fromJapanese Patent Application No. 2017-129779, filed Jun. 30, 2017, theentire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD

Embodiments described herein relate generally to a display device.

BACKGROUND

In personal digital assistants as represented by smartphones, as theamount of information to be handled is increased, the size of a displayscreen becomes one of important performance indexes. On the other hand,personal digital assistants as hardware need to be light and compact.Therefore, as a display device to be installed in a personal digitalassistant, etc., there is demand for a display device in which anon-display area is reduced as small as possible, that is, a displayarea accounts for a large proportion. However, a built-in circuit whichdrives a display element, a routing line, a connector which connects toan external device cannot be completely removed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of the structure of adisplay device DSP according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a development view of a display panel PNL shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of an area A1 shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a plan view showing examples of the arrangement of alight-shielding layer BM provided in a second substrate SUB2.

FIG. 5 is a development view showing the first modification of thedisplay panel PNL.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view in a case where the display panel PNL shownin FIG. 5 is folded along folding lines.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along line A-B of FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a development view showing the second modification of thedisplay panel PNL.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view in a case where the display panel PNL shownin FIG. 8 is folded.

FIG. 10 is a development view showing the third modification of thedisplay panel PNL.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view in a case where the display panel PNLshown in FIG. 10 is folded.

FIG. 12 is a development view showing the fourth modification of thedisplay panel PNL.

FIG. 13 is a development view showing the fifth modification of thedisplay panel PNL.

FIG. 14 is a perspective view in a case where the display panel PNLshown in FIG. 13 is folded.

FIG. 15 is a schematic sectional view taken along line C-D of FIG. 13.

FIG. 16 is a development view showing the sixth modification of thedisplay panel PNL.

FIG. 17 is a perspective view in a case where the display panel PNLshown in FIG. 16 is folded.

FIG. 18 is a development view showing the seventh modification of thedisplay panel PNL.

FIG. 19 is a development view showing the eighth modification of thedisplay panel PNL.

FIG. 20 is an enlarged plan view of an area A6 shown in FIG. 19.

FIG. 21 is a sectional view taken along line E-F of FIG. 19.

FIG. 22 is a sectional view showing the ninth modification of thedisplay panel PNL.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In general, according to one embodiment, a display device includes afirst basement, a first folding line and a second folding line. Thefirst basement has a first area which is a display area including adisplay element, and a second area and a third area which arenon-display areas and are adjacent to the first area. The first foldingline is located at a border of the first area and the second area. Thesecond folding line is located at a border of the first area and thethird area. The first folding line extends in a first direction, and thesecond folding line extends in a second direction intersecting the firstdirection.

According to another embodiment, a display device includes a first area,a second area and a third area, a first folding line, a second foldingline, a third folding line and a fourth folding line. The first area isa display area including a display element. The second are and a thirdarea are adjacent to the first area. The first folding line is locatedat a border of the first area and the second area and extends in a firstdirection. The second folding line is located at a border of the firstarea and the third area and extends in a second direction intersectingthe first direction. The third folding line is located in the secondarea and extends in the first direction. The fourth folding line islocated in the third area and extends in the second direction. Thesecond area has a first reserve display area located between the firstfolding line and the third folding line. The third area has a secondreserve display area located between the second folding line and thefourth folding line.

Embodiments will be described hereinafter with reference to theaccompanying drawings. Incidentally, the disclosure is merely anexample, and proper changes within the spirit of the invention, whichare easily conceivable by a skilled person, are included in the scope ofthe invention as a matter of course. In addition, in some cases, inorder to make the description clearer, the widths, thicknesses, shapes,etc., of the respective parts are schematically illustrated in thedrawings, compared to the actual modes. However, the schematicillustration is merely an example, and adds no restrictions to theinterpretation of the invention. Besides, in the specification anddrawings, the structural elements having functions, which are identicalor similar to the functions of the structural elements described inconnection with preceding drawings, are denoted by like referencenumerals, and an overlapping detailed description is omitted unlessotherwise necessary.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of the structure of adisplay device DSP according to the present embodiment. FIG. 1 shows athree-dimensional space which is defined by a first direction X, asecond direction Y which is perpendicular to the first direction X, anda third direction Z which is perpendicular to the first direction X andthe second direction Y. The first direction X and the second direction Ymay intersect each other at an angle other than an angle of 90 degrees.In the present embodiment, the third direction Z is defined as above andthe direction opposite to the third direction Z is defined as below.

In the present embodiment, a display device DSP is a liquid crystaldisplay device including a liquid crystal layer, for example. However,the display device DSP may be another display device such as an organicelectroluminescent (EL) display device including an organic EL elementor an electronic paper-type display device including an electrophoreticelement.

The display device DSP includes a display panel PNL, a wiring substratePC1 and an optical element OD.

The display panel PNL is folded along at least two intersectingdirections. In the example illustrated, the display panel PNL is foldedalong four folding lines FL1, FL3, FL3 and FL4. The folding lines FL1and FL3 extend in the first direction X. The folding lines FL2 and FL4extend in the second direction Y. In the present embodiment, a foldmeans that two intersecting planes are formed in one member and thewidth of a curved area between the two intersecting planes issufficiently less than the widths of the planes. In the fold of thedisplay panel PNL, the radius of curvature is about the thickness of thedisplay panel PNL, for example.

As the display panel PNL is folded along the folding lines FL1, FL2, FL3and FL4, an area A1 as a main surface and areas A2, A3, A4 and A5located on side surfaces are formed. In the present embodiment, the areaA1 is a display area which displays an image substantially across theentire surface. On the other hand, the areas A2, A3, A4 and A5 arenon-display areas.

The area A1 is a quadrangle and is, for example, a rectangle. Thefolding lines FL1, FL2, FL3 and FL4 correspond to four sides of the areaA1. In other words, the folding lines FL1, FL2, FL3 and FL4 correspondto the borders between the display area and the non-display areas. Morespecifically, the folding line FL1 is located at the border between thearea A1 and the area A2. The folding line FL2 is located at the borderbetween the area A1 and the area A3. The folding line FL3 is located atthe border between the area A1 and the area A4. The folding line FL4 islocated at the border between the area A1 and the area A5. The area A1is not limited to a quadrangle and may be another polygon.

All the folding lines FL1, FL2, FL3 and FL4 are downward folding lines.That is, the areas A2, A3, A4 and A5 are folded downward (that is, onthe opposite side to the display surface) from the area A1,respectively, along the folding lines FL1, FL2, FL3 and FL4. All theangles formed between the area A1 and the areas A2, A3, A4 and A5 areabout 90 degrees, for example. The angles formed between the area A1 andthe areas A2, A3, A4 and A5 may be other than 90 degrees and may bedifferent from each other. In some cases, the areas A2, A3, A4 and A5may overlap the back surface side of the area A1. In a state where thedisplay panel PNL is folded, the areas A2, A3, A4 and A5 are separatedfrom each other.

The optical element OD has an area substantially equal to that of thearea A1 and is provided directly above the area A1. That is, the area A1entirely overlaps the optical element OD. On the other hand, the areasA2, A3, A4 and A5 do not overlap the optical element OD. In the exampleillustrated, the display panel PNL includes a source driver SD and agate driver GD1 which drive the display device DSP. For example, thesource driver SD is formed in the area A2, and the gate driver GD1 isformed in the area A3. If the areas A2, A3, A4 and A5 are located on theback surface side of the area A1, the source driver SD and the gatedriver GD1 overlap the back surface side of the area A1.

The wiring substrate PC1 is mounted on the area A2. This wiringsubstrate PC1 is a flexible substrate, for example. As the flexiblesubstrate applicable to the present embodiment, at least part of thesubstrate includes a flexible portion formed of a bendable material. Forexample, the wiring substrate PC1 may be a flexible substrate which isentirely formed as a flexible portion, or the wiring substrate PC1 maybe a rigid flexible substrate which includes a rigid portion formed of arigid material such as glass epoxy and a flexible portion formed of abendable material such as polyimide.

FIG. 2 is a development view of the display panel PNL shown in FIG. 1.FIG. 2 shows a plane parallel to an X-Y plane which is defined by thefirst direction X and the second direction Y. In plan views, downwardfolding lines will be shown by broken lines and upward folding lineswill be shown by dashed-dotted lines.

The display panel is substantially an octagon, for example. In theexample illustrated, the display panel PNL has the area A1 and the areasA2, A3, A4 and A5 which are adjacent to the area A1. The area A2 and thearea A4 are opposed to each other across the area A1 in the seconddirection Y. The area A3 and the area A5 are opposed to each otheracross the area A1 in the first direction X.

The folding line FL1 is located at the border between the area A1 andthe area A2. The folding line FL2 is located between the area A1 and thearea A3. The folding line FL3 is located at the border between the areaA1 and the area A4. The folding line FL4 is located at the borderbetween the area A1 and the area A5. The folding lines FL1 and FL3extend in the first direction X. The folding lines FL2 and FL4 extend inthe second direction Y. For example, the folding line FL1 and thefolding line FL3 have the same length. Further, the folding line FL2 andthe folding line FL4 have the same length. In the example illustrated,the length of the folding lines FL1 and FL3 is less than the length ofthe folding lines FL2 and FL4.

The areas A2, A3, A4 and A5 are trapezoids, for example. The areas A2,A3, A4 and A5 have edges E2 a, E3 a, E4 a and E5 a located on theopposite side to the area A1, respectively. For example, the edges E2 aand E4 a extend in the first direction X. The edges E3 a and E5 a extendin the second direction Y. The length of the edges E2 a and E4 a in thefirst direction X is less than the length of the folding lines FL1 andFL3. Further, the length of the edges E3 a and E5 a in the seconddirection Y is less than the length of the folding lines FL2 and FL4.

The area A2 is located between the folding line FL2 and the folding lineFL4 in the first direction X. That is, an edge E2 b of the area A2 onthe area A5 side does not extend beyond the folding line FL4. An edge E2c of the area A2 on the area A3 side does not extend beyond the foldingline FL2. In the example illustrated, the edge E2 b linearly extendsfrom one end of the edge E2 a to one end of the folding line FL1.Further, the edge E2 c linearly extends from the other end of the edgeE2 a to the other end of the folding line FL1.

Similarly to the area A2, the area A4 is located between the foldingline FL2 and the folding line FL4 in the first direction X. That is, anedge E4 b of the area A4 on the area A5 side does not extend beyond thefolding line FL4. An edge E4 c of the area A4 on the area A3 side doesnot extend beyond the folding line FL2. In the example illustrated, theedge E4 b linearly extends from one end of the edge E4 a to one end ofthe folding line FL3. Further, the edge E4 c linearly extends from theother end of the edge E4 a to the other end of the folding line FL3.

The area A3 is located between the folding line FL1 and the folding lineFL3 in the second direction Y. That is, an edge E3 b of the area A3 onthe area A2 side does not extend beyond the folding line FL1. An edge E3c of the area A3 on the area A4 side does not extend beyond the foldingline FL3. In the example illustrated, the edge E3 b linearly extendsfrom one end of the edge E3 a to one end of the folding line FL2.Further, the edge E3 c linearly extends from the other end of the edgeE3 a to the other end of the folding line FL2.

Similarly to the area A3, the area A5 is located between the foldingline FL1 and the folding line FL3 in the second direction Y. That is, anedge E5 b of the area A5 on the area A2 side does not extend beyond thefolding line FL1. An edge E5 c of the area A5 on the area A4 side doesnot extend beyond the folding line FL3. In the example illustrated, theedge E5 b linearly extends from one end of the edge E5 a to one end ofthe folding line FL4. Further, the edge E5 c linearly extends from theother end of the edge E5 a to the other end of the folding line FL4.

In the example illustrated, the edge E2 c and the edge E3 b are locatedon the same straight line. The edge E3 c and the edge E4 c are locatedon the same straight line. The edge E4 b and the edge E5 c are locatedon the same straight line. The edge E5 b and the edge E2 c are locatedon the same straight line.

The display panel PNL includes a plurality of scanning lines G, aplurality of signal lines S and a plurality of pixels PX which areelectrically connected thereto in the area A1. Here, the pixel PXcorresponds to the smallest unit which is individually controllable inaccordance with a pixel signal. In the example illustrated, the scanninglines G extend in the first direction X and are arranged at intervals inthe second direction Y. The signal lines S extend in the seconddirection Y and are arranged at intervals in the first direction X. Thepixels PX are arranged in a matrix in the first direction X and thesecond direction Y.

Each pixel PX includes a switching element SW, a pixel electrode PE, acommon electrode CE, a liquid crystal element (a liquid crystal layerwhich will be described later) LC, etc., as shown on the lower side ofthe drawing. The switching element SW is composed of a thin-filmtransistor (TFT), for example. Each scanning line G is connected to theswitching elements SW in the pixels PX which are arranged in the firstdirection X. Each signal S is connected to the switching elements SW inthe pixels PX which are arranged in the second direction Y. The pixelelectrodes PE are electrically connected to the switching elements SW.Each pixel electrode PE is opposed to the common electrode CE which isarranged across the pixels PX, and drives the liquid crystal layer LC byan electric field generated between the pixel electrode PE and thecommon electrode CE. For example, storage capacitance CS is formedbetween an electrode at the same potential as that of the commonelectrode CE and an electrode at the same potential as that of the pixelelectrode PE.

Further, the display panel PNL includes the source driver SD and thegate drivers GD1 and GD2 which drive the pixels PX in the non-displayareas. In the example illustrated, the source driver SD is formed in thearea A2 and extends in the first direction X. The gate driver GD1 isformed in the area A3 and extends in the second direction Y. The gatedriver GD2 is formed in the area A5 and extends in the second directionY. The signal lines S extend to the area A2 and are connected to thesource driver SD. The scanning lines G extend to the area A3 or the areaA5 and are connected to the gate driver GD1 or the gate driver GD2. Inthe example illustrated, the scanning lines G connected to the gatedriver GD1 and the scanning lines G connected to the gate driver GD2 arealternately arranged in the second direction Y. Note that the signallines S and the scanning lines G linearly extend in the exampleillustrated but may be partially winding.

The folding lines FL1, FL2, FL3 and FL4 are arranged along the pixels PXlocated at the outermost periphery. In other words, the pixels PX arenot arranged between the folding line FL1 and the edge E2 a, between thefolding line FL2 and the edge E3 a, between the folding line FL3 and theedge E4 a and between the folding line FL4 and the edge E5 a. In theexample illustrated, the folding line FL1 is located between pixels PX2a located at the outermost periphery and the source driver SD. Thefolding line FL2 is located between pixels PX3 a located at theoutermost periphery and the gate driver GD1. The folding line FL4 islocated between pixels PX5 a located at the outermost periphery and thegate driver GD2. Here, the pixels PX2 a are those of the pixels PXarranged in the first direction X which are closest to the edge E2 a.The pixels PX3 a are those of the pixels PX arranged in the seconddirection Y which are closest to the edge E3 a. The pixels PX5 a arethose of the pixels PX arranged in the second direction Y which areclosest to the edge E5 a. All the folding lines FL1, FL2, FL3 and FL4 donot intersect the source driver SD and the gate drivers GD1 and GD2.

The display panel PNL is composed of the first substrate SUB1 and thesecond substrate SUB2. The signal lines S, the scanning lines G, theswitching elements SW, the source driver SD, the gate drivers GD1 andGD2, etc., are formed on the first substrate SUB1. The first substrateSUB1 includes a mounting portion MT1 which extends beyond the secondsubstrate SUB2 in the second direction Y. In the example illustrated,the mounting portion MT1 is located in the area A2 and is provided alongthe edge E2 a. The mounting portion MT1 includes a plurality ofterminals TE which electrically connect the display panel PNL to thewiring substrate PC1 shown in FIG. 1, etc.

The first substrate SUB1 and the second substrate SUB2 are opposed toeach other in the third direction Z and are attached to each other bythe sealant SE. The sealant SE is provided in the shape of asubstantially octagonal frame along the outer periphery of the displaypanel PNL. The liquid crystal layer LC is located within an areasurrounded by the sealant SE. In the example illustrated, part of thesealant SE overlaps the area A1. More specifically, the sealant SEextends from the area A2 to the area A3 through the area A1, extendsfrom the area A3 to the area A4 through the area A1, extends from thearea A4 to the area A5 through the area A1 and extends from the area A5to the area A2 thorough the area A1. In other words, the sealant SEintersects the folding lines FL1, FL2, FL3 and FL4 twice. In the exampleillustrated, the sealant SE is located between the source driver SD andthe edge E2 a in the area A2, is located between the gate driver GD1 andthe edge E3 a in the area A3 and is located between the gate driver GD2and the edge E5 a in the area A5.

In the example illustrated, a wiring line WL1 connected to the gatedriver GD1 and a wiring line WL2 connected to the gate driver GD2 extendto the mounting portion MT1 through the area A1. That is, the wiringline WL1 intersects the folding lines FL2 and FL1 once. The wiring lineWL1 is located on the inner side from the sealant SE at least in theareas A3 and A1. The wiring line WL2 intersects the folding lines FL4and FL1 once. The wiring line WL2 is located on the inner side from thesealant SE at least in the areas A5 and A1. Wiring lines WL3 connectedto the source driver SD extend toward the mounting portion MT1 in thearea A2. In the example illustrated, the wiring lines WL1, WL2 and WL3intersect the sealant SE between the source driver SD and the edge E2 a.The wiring line WL1 is electrically connected to the liquid crystallayer LC which functions as a display element via the gate driver GD1.The wiring line WL2 is electrically connected to the liquid crystallayer LC which functions as a display element via the gate driver GD2.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the area A1 shown in FIG. 2. This is asectional view of the display device DSP taken in the third direction Z.The illustrated display panel PNL conforms to a display mode whichmainly uses a lateral electric field substantially parallel to the mainsurfaces of substrates. The main surfaces of substrates here correspondto a plane parallel to the X-Y plane.

The first substrate SUB1 includes a basement 10, the signal lines S, thecommon electrode CE, metal layers ML, the pixel electrodes PE, aninsulating layer 11, an insulating layer 12, an insulating layer 13, afirst alignment film AL1, etc. The basement 10 is formed of an organicmaterial such as polyimide, for example. The basement 10 has a firstsurface 10A which is opposed to the second substrate SUB2 and a secondsurface 10B which is opposite to the first surface 10A. Here, theswitching elements and the scanning lines, and various insulatinglayers, etc., interposed therebetween are not illustrated.

The insulating layer 11 is located on the basement 10, that is, on thefirst surface 10A side. The scanning lines and a semiconductor layer ofthe switching element which are not illustrated are located between thebasement 10 and the insulating layer 11. The signal lines S are locatedon the insulating layer 11. The insulating layer 12 is located on thesignal lines S and the insulating layer 11. The common electrode CE islocated on the insulating layer 12. The metal layers ML contact thecommon electrode CE directly above the signal lines S. The metal layersML are located on the common electrode CE in the example illustrated butmay be located between the common electrode CE and the insulating layer12. The insulating layer 13 is located on the common electrode CE andthe metal layers ML. The pixel electrodes PE are located on theinsulating layer 13. The pixel electrodes PE are opposed to the commonelectrode CE via the insulating layer 13. Further, the pixel electrodesPE have slits ST at positions opposed to the common electrode CE,respectively. The first alignment film AL1 covers the pixel electrodesPE and the insulating layer 13.

The scanning lines, the signal lines S and the metal layers ML may beformed of a metal material such as molybdenum, tungsten, titanium oraluminum and may have a single layer structure or a multilayerstructure. The common electrode CE and the pixel electrodes PE areformed of a transparent conductive material such as ITO or IZO. Theinsulating layer 11 and the insulating layer 13 are inorganic insulatinglayers, and the insulating layer 12 is an organic insulating layer.

The structure of the first substrate SUB′ is not limited to the exampleillustrated, and the pixel electrodes PE may be located between theinsulating layer 12 and the insulating layer 13 and the common electrodeCE may be located between the insulating layer 13 and the firstalignment film AL1. In that case, the pixel electrodes PE have the shapeof a flat plate having no slit, and the common electrode CE has slitsopposed to the pixel electrodes PE. Alternatively, the pixel electrodePE and the common electrode CE may have the shape of a comb and may beengaged with each other.

The second substrate SUB2 includes a basement 20, a light-shieldinglayer BM, color filters CF, an overcoat layer OC, a second alignmentfilm AL2, etc. The basement 20 is formed of an organic material such aspolyimide, for example. The basement 20 has a first surface 20A which isopposed to the first substrate SUB1 and a second surface 20B which isopposite to the first surface 20A.

The light-shielding layer BM and the color filters CF are located on thefirst surface side 20A of the basement 20. The light-shielding layer BMpartitions the pixels PX. In the example illustrated, thelight-shielding layer BM is located directly above the signal lines S.The color filters CF are opposed to the pixel electrodes PE andpartially overlap the light-shielding layer BM. The color filters CFinclude a red color filter, a green color filter, a blue color filter,etc. The overcoat layer OC covers the color filters CF. The secondalignment film AL2 covers the overcoat layer OC.

The color filters CF may be arranged on the first substrate SUB1instead. The color filters CF may include color filters corresponding tofour or more colors. A pixel which displays white may be provided with awhite color filter or an uncolored resin material or may be providedwith the overcoat layer OC without any color filter. Further, thelight-shielding layer BM may be formed on the overcoat layer OC.

A first optical element OD1 including the first polarizer PL1 is locatedon the second surface 10B side, that is, between the basement 10 and anillumination device BL. A second optical element OD2 including a secondpolarizer PL2 is located on the second surface 20B side. The firstoptical element OD1 and the second optical element OD2 may includeretardation films, respectively, when needed.

The display panel PNL may conform to a display mode which uses alongitudinal electric field perpendicular to the main surfaces ofsubstrates, a display mode which uses an oblique electric field inclinedwith respect to the main surfaces of substrates, or a display mode whichuses a combination thereof. In the display mode using the longitudinalelectric field or the oblique electric field, for example, the displaypanel PNL may adopt a structure in which one of the pixel electrode PEand the common electrode CE is provided on the first substrate SUB1 andthe other one of the pixel electrode PE and the common electrode CE isprovided on the second substrate SUB2.

FIG. 4 is a plan view showing examples of the arrangement of thelight-shielding layer BM provided in the second substrate SUB2.

In the example shown in FIG. 4 (a), the light-shielding layer BM isprovided through substantially the entire surfaces of the areas A2, A3,A4 and A5 as shown by diagonal lines in the drawing. In the area A1, thelight-shielding layer BM doesn't exist in the opening of the pixel PX.In this structure, the borders between the area A1 and the areas A2, A3,A4 and A5 correspond to the borders between an area in which thelight-shielding layer BM is not provided and areas in which thelight-shielding layer BM is provided. The folding lines FL1, FL2, FL3and FL4 are located in such a manner as to substantially overlap theinner periphery of the light-shielding layer BM. The source driver SDand the gate drivers GD1 and GD2 are located below the light-shieldinglayer BM and entirely overlap the light-shielding layer BM.

In the example shown in FIG. 4 (b), the light-shielding layer BM has theshape of a frame which surrounds the area A1. If the light-shieldinglayer BM is significantly narrow, the light-shielding layer BM can beregarded as the border between the display area and the non-displayareas. The folding lines FL1, FL2, FL3 and FL4 are located in such amanner as to substantially overlap the frame-like light-shielding layerBM. The light-shielding layer BM may be omitted.

According to the present embodiment, the display panel PNL is foldedalong the pixels PX located at the outermost periphery. The area A1 asthe display area corresponds to an area surrounded by the folding linesFL1 and FL3 which extend in the first direction X and the folding linesFL2 and FL4 which extend in the second direction Y. Therefore, thepixels PX are arranged substantially on the entire main surface of thefolded display panel PNL. On the other hand, the source driver SD andthe gate drivers GD1 and GD2 are located on the side surfaces.Consequently, the frame of the display device can be narrowed.

Further, the areas A2 and A4 do not extend beyond the folding lines FL2and FL4, and the areas A3 and A5 do not extend beyond the folding linesFL1 and FL3. According to this structure, the display panel PNL can beeasily folded since the areas A2, A3, A4 and A5 will not interfere witheach other.

(First Modification)

FIG. 5 is a development view showing the first modification of thedisplay panel PNL. The first modification differs from the example shownin FIG. 2 in that the display panel PNL further includes folding linesFL5, FL6, FL7 and FL8 in addition to folding lines FL1, FL2, FL3 andFL4.

All the folding lines FL5, FL6, FL7 and FL8 are downward folding lines.The folding lines FL5, FL6, FL7 and FL8 are located in the areas A2, A3,A4 and A5, respectively. More specifically, the folding line FL5 extendsin the first direction X between the folding line FL1 and the edge E2 a.The folding line FL6 extends in the second direction Y between thefolding line FL2 and the edge E3 a. The folding line FL7 extends in thefirst direction X between the folding line FL3 and the edge E4 a. Thefolding line FL8 extends in the second direction Y between the foldingline FL4 and the edge E5 a.

For example, a distance L1 between the folding line FL5 and the foldingline FL1, a distance L2 between the folding line FL6 and the foldingline FL2, a distance L3 between the folding line FL7 and the foldingline FL3 and a distance L4 between the folding line FL8 and the foldingline FL4 are substantially equal to each other. Here, the distances L1and L3 correspond to a distance in the second direction Y, and thedistances L2 and L4 correspond to a distance in the first direction X.

In the example illustrated, the source driver SD is located between thefolding line FL5 and the edge E2 a. Further, the gate driver GD1 islocated between the folding line FL6 and the edge E3 a, and the gatedriver GD2 is located between the folding line FL8 and the edge E5 a.

The sealant SE is provided in the shape of a substantially octagonalframe along the outer periphery of the display panel PNL and partiallyoverlaps the area A1. That is, the sealant SE intersects the foldinglines FL1, FL2, FL3, FL4, FL5, FL6, FL7 and FL8 twice. The wiring lineWL1 extends from the gate driver GD1 toward the mounting portion MT1 andintersects the folding lines FL6, FL2, FL1 and FL5. The wiring line WL2extends from the gate driver GD2 toward the mounting portion MT1 andintersects the folding lines FL8, FL4, FL1 and FL5. The wiring lines L3do not intersect any folding lines.

The area A2 has edges E2 d and E2 e in addition to the edges E2 a, E2 band E2 c. The edge E2 d is located on an extended line of the edge E2 band is located between the folding line FL1 and the folding line FL5.The edge E2 e is located on an extended line of the edge E2 c and islocated between the folding line FL1 and the folding line FL5.

The area A3 has edges E3 d and E3 e in addition to the edges E3 a, E3 band E3 c. The edge E3 d is located on an extended line of the edge E3 band is located between the folding line FL2 and the folding line FL6.The edge E3 e is located on an extended line of the edge E3 c and islocated between the folding line FL2 and the folding line FL6.

Since the structures of the areas A4 and A5 are the same as thestructures of the areas A2 and A3, detailed description thereof will beomitted.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view in a case where the display panel PNL shownin FIG. 5 is folded along folding lines. FIG. 6 (a) shows the displaysurface side, and FIG. 6 (b) shows the opposite side to the displaysurface.

As shown in FIGS. 6 (a) and 6 (b), the display panel PNL is foldeddownward along the folding lines FL5, FL6, FL7 and FL8. Therefore, partsof the areas A2, A3, A4 and A5 which include the edges E2 a, E3 a, E4 aand E5 a are located on the back surface side of the area A1 and areopposed to the area A1. For example, the source driver SD and the gatedrivers GD1 and GD2 are located on the same plane which is substantiallyparallel to the area A1. In the example illustrated, the wiringsubstrate PC1 is mounted on the mounting portion MT1. The wiringsubstrate PC1 is opposed to the area A1.

In a state where the display panel PNL is folded, the areas A2, A3, A4and A5 do not overlap each other. That is, the edges E2 a, E3 a, E4 aand E5 a are separated from each other. In the example illustrated, theedge E2 e and the edge E3 d are separated from each other and extend inintersecting directions. The edge E2 c and the edge E3 b are separatedfrom each other and extend substantially parallel to each other.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along line A-B of FIG. 6. FIG. 7 showsa plane parallel to an X-Z plane which is defined by the first directionX and the third direction Z.

In the example illustrated, the area A3 is folded at about 90 degreeswith respect to the area A1 along the folding line FL2. Further, thearea A3 is folded at about 90 degrees along the folding line FL6. Stillfurther, the area A5 is folded at about 90 degrees with respect to thearea A1 along the folding line FL4. Still further, the area A5 is foldedat about 90 degrees along the folding line FL8. Accordingly, the edgesE3 a and E5 a are located directly below the area A1. Further, the gatedriver GD1 located between the folding line FL6 and the edge E3 a andthe gate driver GD2 located between the folding line FL8 and the edge E5a are located directly below the area A1. Although not shown in thedrawing, the areas A2 and A4 are folded, similarly. Note that the foldangles along the folding lines may be other than 90 degrees. Further,the fold angles along the folding lines may be different from eachother.

In the example illustrated, a structural object OB is arranged in aspace surrounded by the areas A1, A3 and A5. The structural object OBmay be, for example, an illumination device or may be a supporter whichsupports the display panel PNL.

The same effect as that produced from the example shown in FIG. 2 can beproduced from the first modification. Further, according to the firstmodification, the source driver SD and the gate drivers GD1 and GD2 canbe arranged directly below the area A1. Therefore, the thickness of thedisplay device DSP can be reduced.

(Second Modification)

FIG. 8 is a development view showing the second modification of thedisplay panel PNL. The second modification differs from the firstmodification in that the edges E2 d and E2 e extend in the seconddirection Y and the edges E3 d and E3 e extend in the first direction X.

In the example illustrated, the edge E2 d is located on an extended lineof the folding line FL4 in the area A2. The edge E2 e is located on anextended line of the folding line FL2. The edge E3 d is located on anextended line of the folding line FL1 in the area A3. The edge E3 e islocated on an extended line of the folding line FL3.

The length of the edges E2 d and E2 e in the second direction Y and thelength of the edges E3 d and E3 e in the first direction X aresubstantially equal to each other. Further, the folding lines FL1, FL3,FL5 and FL7 have substantially equal lengths. The folding lines FL2,FL4, FL6 and FL8 have substantially equal lengths.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view in a case where the display panel PNL shownin FIG. 8 is folded. FIG. 9 (a) shows the display surface side, and FIG.9 (b) shows the opposite side to the display surface.

As shown in FIG. 9 (a), the edge E2 e and the edge E3 d are adjacent toeach other and are opposed substantially parallel to each other in astate where the display panel PNL is folded. In the example illustrated,the edge E2 e and the edge E3 d extend in the third direction Z.Further, as shown in FIG. 9 (b), the edge E2 c and the edge E3 b areadjacent to each other and are opposed substantially parallel to eachother. In the example illustrated, the edge E2 c and the edge E3 b arelocated on the same plane which is parallel to the X-Y plane.

In the example shown in FIG. 9 (b), the areas A2, A3, A4 and A5 areclose to each other as compared to the example shown in FIG. 6 (b). Theareas A2, A3, A4 and A5 do not overlap each other in FIG. 9 (b) but mayoverlap each other. The same effect as that produced from the firstmodification can be produced from the second modification.

(Third Modification)

FIG. 10 is a development view showing the third modification of thedisplay panel PNL. The third modification differs from the secondmodification in that the display panel PNL has mounting portions MT2 andMT3 in addition to the mounting portion MT1. Similarly to the mountingportion MT1, the mounting portions MT2 and MT3 include a plurality ofterminals TE, respectively.

The mounting portion MT2 is located in the area A3. The mounting portionMT2 corresponds to an area of the first substrate SUB1 which extendsbeyond the second substrate SUB2 in the first direction X. In theexample illustrated, the mounting portion MT2 is provided along the edgeE3 a. The wiring line WL1 connected to the gate driver GD1 extendstoward the edge E3 a. That is, the wiring line WL1 is connected to theterminals TE provided in the mounting portion MT2 without intersectingthe folding lines FL2 and FL6.

The mounting portion MT3 is located in the area A5. The mounting portionMT3 corresponds to an area of the first substrate SUB1 which extendsbeyond the second substrate SUB2 in the first direction X. In theexample illustrated, the mounting portion MT3 is provided along the edgeE5 a. The wiring line WL2 connected to the gate driver GD2 extendstoward the edge E5 a. That is, the wiring line WL2 is connected to theterminals TE provided in the mounting portion MT3 without intersectingthe folding lines FL4 and FL8.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view in a case where the display panel PNLshown in FIG. 10 is folded. FIG. 11 (a) shows the display surface side,and FIG. 11 (b) shows the opposite side to the display surface.

As shown in FIG. 11 (a), the wiring lines WL1 and WL2 are not arrangedon the display surface side. In the example illustrated, the sealant SEis located on the display surface side.

As shown in FIG. 11 (b), the wiring substrate PC1 is mounted on themounting portion MT1, a wiring substrate PC2 is mounted on the mountingportion MT2 and a wiring substrate PC3 is mounted on the mountingportion MT3. Similarly to the wiring substrate PC1, the wiringsubstrates PC2 and PC3 are flexible substrates. If wiring substrates areto be mounted after the display panel PNL is folded, one wiringsubstrate may be mounted on the mounting portions MT1, MT2 and MT3.

According to the third modification, the wiring lines WL1 and WL2 can beconnected to an external device without passing through the area A1.Therefore, it is possible to prevent reduction of the area contributingto display and further narrow the frame.

(Fourth Modification)

FIG. 12 is a development view showing the fourth modification of thedisplay panel PNL. The fourth modification differs from the secondmodification in that the areas A2, A3, A4 and A5 have reserve displayareas B2, B3, B4 and B5, respectively.

Similarly to the area A1, the reserve display areas B2, B3, B4 and B5have a plurality of pixels PX, respectively. In the reserve displayareas B2, B3, B4 and B5, the pixels PX are arranged in the firstdirection X and the second direction Y. In the example illustrated, thereserve display areas B2, B3, B4 and B5 are rectangles. The folding lineFL1 is located between the area A1 and the reserve display area B2. Thefolding line FL2 is located between the area A1 and the reserve displayarea B3. The folding line FL3 is located between the area A1 and thereserve display area B4. The folding line FL4 is located between thearea A1 and the reserve display area B5. In other words, the foldinglines FL1, FL2, FL3 and FL4 can be assumed to be located within thedisplay area.

In the example illustrated, the reserve display area B2 is locatedbetween the folding line FL1 and the folding line FL5 and is closer tothe folding line FL1 than to the folding line FL5. The reserve displayarea B3 is located between the folding line FL2 and the folding line FL6and is closer to the folding line FL2 than to the folding line FL6. Thereserve display area B4 is located between the folding line FL3 and thefolding line FL7 and is closer to the folding line FL3 than to thefolding line FL7. The reserve display area B5 is located between thefolding line FL4 and the folding line FL8 and is closer to the foldingline FL4 than to the folding line FL8. In the reserve display areas B2,B3, B4 and B5, the pixels PX may be arranged close to the folding linesFL5, FL6, FL7 and FL8 as is the case with the pixels PX arranged on thefolding lines FL1, FL2, FL3 and FL4 sides.

The same effect as that produced from the second modification can beproduced from the fifth modification. Further, as the pixels PX arearranged in the areas A2, A3, A4 and A5, the range of the display areacan be adjusted in accordance with the accuracy of alignment of thefolding lines FL1, FL2, FL3 and FL4.

(Fifth Modification)

FIG. 13 is a development view showing the fifth modification of thedisplay panel PNL. The fifth modification differs from the example shownin FIG. 2 in that the display panel PNL has the shape of a rectangle.

The display panel PNL is a rectangle, for example. The display panel PNLhas areas A6, A7, A8 and A9 in addition to the areas A1 to A5. The areaA2 and the area A4 have the same shape, and the area A3 and the area A5have the same shape. In the example illustrated, the area A2 and thearea A4 have the shape of a rectangle in which sides extending in thefirst direction X are longer than sides extending in the seconddirection Y. The area A3 and the area A5 have the shape of a rectanglein which sides extending in the first direction X are shorter than sidesextending in the second direction Y.

The areas A6, A7, A8 and A9 are squares having the same area. The areaA6 is adjacent to the area A2 and the area A3. The area A7 is adjacentto the area A3 and the area A4. The area A8 is adjacent to the area A4and the area A5. The area A9 is adjacent to the area A5 and the area A2.

The display panel PNL has folding lines FL9, FL10, FL11, FL12, FL13,FL14, FL15 and FL16 in addition to the folding lines FL1, FL2, FL3 andFL4. The folding line FL9 is located at the border between the area A6and the area A2. The folding line FL10 is located at the border betweenthe area A6 and the area A3. The folding line FL11 is located at theborder between the area A7 and the area A3. The folding line FL12 islocated at the border between the area A7 and the area A4. The foldingline FL13 is located at the border between the area A8 and the area A4.The folding line FL14 is located at the border between the area A8 andthe area A5. The folding line FL15 is located at the border between thearea A9 and the area A5. The folding line FL16 is located at the borderbetween the area A9 and the area A2.

In the example illustrated, the folding lines FL10 and FL15 are locatedon extended lines of the folding line FL1. The folding lines FL9 andFL12 are located on extended lines of the folding line FL2. The foldinglines FL11 and FL14 are located on extended lines of the folding lineFL3. The folding lines FL13 and FL16 are located on extended lines ofthe folding line FL4. For example, the folding lines FL9, FL12, FL13 andFL16 are downward folding lines, and FL10, FL11, FL14 and FL15 areupward folding lines.

Further, the display panel PNL has folding lines FL17, FL18, FL19 andFL20 in the areas A6, A7, A8 and A9. The folding line FL17 linearlyextends from an intersection CP1 of the folding lines FL1 and FL2 towarda vertex V1 of the display panel PNL. The folding line FL18 linearlyextends from an intersection CP2 of the folding lines FL2 and FL3 towarda vertex V2 of the display panel PNL. The folding line FL19 linearlyextends from an intersection CP3 of the folding lines FL3 and FL4 towarda vertex V3 of the display panel PNL. The folding line FL20 linearlyextends from an intersection CP4 of the folding lines FL4 and FL1 towarda vertex V4 of the display panel PNL. All the folding lines FL17, FL18,FL19 and FL20 are downward folding lines.

Here, the vertex V1 corresponds to the intersection of an edge E6 a ofthe area A6 extending in the first direction X and an edge E6 b of thearea A6 extending in the second direction Y. Similarly, the vertex V2corresponds to the intersection of an edge E7 a of the area A7 extendingin the first direction X and an edge E7 b of the area A7 extending inthe second direction Y. The vertex V3 corresponds to the intersection ofan edge E8 a of the area A8 extending in the first direction X and anedge E8 b of the area A8 extending in the second direction Y. The vertexV4 corresponds to the intersection of an edge E9 a of the area A9extending in the first direction X and an edge E9 b of the area A9extending in the second direction Y.

The sealant SE is not arranged in the areas A6, A7, A8 and A9. Morespecifically, the sealant SE is located in the areas A2, A3, A4 and A5,and passes on the inner sides of the intersections CP1, CP2, CP3 and CP4and is arranged in the area A1. In other words, the sealant SEintersects the folding lines FL1, FL2, FL3 and FL4 twice.

Further, the wiring lines WL1 and WL2 are not arranged in the areas A6and A9, similarly to the sealant SE. In the example illustrated, thewiring lines WL1 and WL2 extend along the sealant SE and are located onthe inner side from the sealant SE. That is, the wiring line WL1 extendsfrom the area A3 to the area A2 through the area A1. The wiring line WL2extends from the area A5 to the area A2 through the area A1. The wiringline WL1 intersects the folding lines FL2 and FL1, and the wiring lineWL2 intersects the folding lines FL4 and FL2.

FIG. 14 is a perspective view in a case where the display panel shown inFIG. 13 is folded. Here, the vicinity of the area A6 will be described.Since the same also applies to the vicinities of the areas A7, A8 andA9, detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The folding line FL9 extends in the third direction Z. The folding lineFL9 overlaps the folding line FL10 shown in FIG. 13. The area A6 isfolded in an area having the shape of a right triangle defined by thefolding line FL9, the folding line FL17 and the edge E6 a. In theexample illustrated, the area A6 is arranged along the area A3. The edgeE6 a overlaps the edge E3 a. In the example illustrated, the gate driverGD1 and the sealant SE in the area A3 partially overlap the area A6. Thearea A6 may be arranged along the area A2 instead. In that case, thefolding line FL9 shown in FTG. 13 is an upward folding line, and thefolding line FL10 shown in FIG. 13 is a downward folding line.

FIG. 15 is a schematic sectional view taken along line C-D of FIG. 13.Here, only elements necessary for explanation are illustrated, and someelements such as insulating layers are omitted.

The display panel PNL includes the basement 10, the basement 20, aninsulating layer 111, an insulating layer 112, the insulating layer 12,the sealant SE, the liquid crystal layer LC and a spacer PS. Theinsulating layers 111 and the insulating layer 112 correspond to theinsulating layer 11 shown in FIG. 3.

The display panel PNL includes a thin-film transistor TR whichconstitutes the gate driver GD1. The thin-film transistor TR includes asemiconductor layer SC, a gate electrode WG, a source electrode WS and adrain electrode WD. In the example illustrated, the semiconductor layerSC is formed on the basement 10 and is covered with the insulating layer111. The gate electrode WG is formed on the insulating layer 111 and iscovered with the insulating layer 112. The source electrode WS and thedrain electrode WD are formed on the insulating layer 112 and arecovered with the insulating layer 12. The source electrode WS and thedrain electrode WD contact the semiconductor layer SC in contact holesprovided in the insulating layer 112.

The display panel PNL includes the wiring line WL1 in the area A2. Thewiring line WL1 is electrically connected to the gate driver GD1. Forexample, the wiring line WL1 is formed in the same layer as that of thesource electrode WS and the drain electrode WD of the thin-filmtransistor TR. That is, the wiring line WL1 is formed on the insulatinglayer 112 and is covered with the insulating layer 12. In the exampleillustrated, the wiring line WL1 is electrically connected to aconductive layer CL located directly below. The conductive layer CL isformed in the same layer as that of the gate electrode WG. That is, theconductive layer CL is formed on the insulating layer 111 and is coveredwith the insulating layer 112. The wiring line WL1 contacts theconductive layer CL in a contact hole formed in the insulating layer112.

In the example illustrated, the liquid crystal layer LC is locatedbetween the sealant SE and the sealant SE in the areas A2 and A3. Theliquid crystal layer LC is not located in the area A6.

The display panel PNL structured as described above is folded at about90 degrees downward along the folding line FL9. The display panel PNL isfolded at about 180 degrees downward along the folding line FL17. Thedisplay panel PNL is folded at about 180 degrees upward along thefolding line FL10.

As described above, the sealant SE, the liquid crystal layer LC, thewiring line WL1 and the gate driver GD1 are not provided in the area A6.In other words, the sealant SE, the liquid crystal layer LC, the wiringline WL1 and the gate driver GD1 are not located in an area in which thedisplay panel PNL is folded at 180 degrees. On the other hand, in theexample illustrated, the insulating layers 11 and 12 and the spacer PSare formed across the areas A2, the area A6 and the area A3, that is,thoroughly from the edge E2 a to the edge E3 a.

The same effect as that produced from the example shown in FIG. 2 can beproduced from the fifth modification. Further, since the display panelPNL has the areas A6, A7, A8 and A9 which connect the area A2 and thearea A3, the area A3 and the area A4, the area A4 and the area A5, andthe area A5 and the area A2, respectively, the folded state of thedisplay panel PNL can be easily maintained.

(Sixth Modification)

FIG. 16 is a development view showing the sixth modification of thedisplay panel PNL. The sixth modification differs from the fifthmodification in that a plurality of folding lines are located in theareas A2 to A9, respectively.

Similarly to the first modification, the areas A2, A3, A4 and A5 havethe folding lines FL5, FL6, FL7 and FL8.

Further, the area A2 has folding lines FL21 and FL22 in addition to thefolding line FL5. The folding line FL21 extends from one end of thefolding line FL5 toward the edge E2 a. The intersection of the edge E2 aand the folding line FL21 is far from the area A9 than the intersectionof the folding line FL5 and the folding line FL21. The folding line FL22extends from the other end of the folding line FL5 toward the edge E2 a.The intersection of the edge E2 a and the folding line FL22 is far fromthe area A6 than the intersection of the folding line FL5 and thefolding line FL22. Both the folding lines FL21 and FL22 are upwardfolding lines.

The area A4 has folding lines FL23 and FL24 in addition to the foldingline FL7. The folding line FL23 extends from one end of the folding lineFL7 toward the edge E4 a. The intersection of the edge E4 a and thefolding line FL23 is far from the area A8 than the intersection of thefolding line FL7 and the folding line FL23. The folding line FL24extends from the other end of the folding line FL7 toward the edge E4 a.The intersection of the edge E4 a and the folding line FL24 is far fromthe area A7 than the intersection of the folding line FL7 and thefolding line FL24. Both the folding lines FL23 and FL24 are upwardfolding lines.

The area A6 has folding lines FL25 and FL26 in addition to the foldingline FL17. The folding line FL25 is located on an extended line of thefolding line FL5 between the folding line FL9 and the folding line FL17.The folding line FL26 is located on an extended line of the folding lineFL6 between the folding line FL10 and the folding line FL17. Theintersection of the folding line FL25 and the folding line FL26 islocated on the folding line FL17. The arrangements of the folding linesin the areas A7, A8 and A9 are the same as the arrangement of thefolding lines FL25 and FL26 in the area A6, and therefore detaileddescription thereof will be omitted. Note that the arrangements of thefolding lines in the areas A7, A8 and A9 are rotated 90, 180 and 270degrees, respectively, from the arrangement of the folding lines FL25and FL26.

The sealant SE is located on the inner side from the folding lines FL21and FL22 in the area A2. That is, the sealant SE only intersects thefolding line FL5 in the area A2. Further, the sealant SE is located onthe inner side from the folding lines FL23 and FL24 in the area A4. Thatis, the sealant SE only intersects the folding line FL7 in the area A4.

FIG. 17 is a perspective view in a case where the display panel PNLshown in FIG. 16 is folded. FIG. 17 (a) shows the display surface side,and FIG. 17 (b) shows the opposite side to the display surface.

After the display panel PNL is folded as is the case with the fifthmodification shown in FIG. 14, the area A2 is folded along the upwardfolding lines FL21 and FL22 and the area A4 is folded along the upwardfolding lines FL23 and FL24. Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 17 (b), partsof the areas A2, A3, A4 and A5 which include the edges E2 a, E3 a, E4 aand E5 a are opposed to the back surface side of the area A1. The sourcedriver SD and the gate drivers GD1 and GD2 are located on the same planewhich is substantially parallel to the area A1.

In the example illustrated, the area A3 overlaps the areas A2 and A4.Further, the area A5 overlaps the areas A2 and A4. That is, the edges E3a and the edge E5 a overlap the areas A2 and A4.

Further, the areas A6, A7, A8 and A9 are partially opposed to the areaA1. The area A6 overlaps the areas A2 and A3. The area A7 overlaps theareas A3 and A4. The area A8 overlaps the areas A4 and A5. The area A9overlaps the areas A5 and A2. The edges E6 a, E7 a, E8 a and E9 a shownin FIG. 16 extend in the second direction Y in the example shown in FIG.17 (b). For example, the edges E6 a and E7 a overlap the edge E3 a. Theedges E8 a and E9 a overlap the edge E5 a. In the example illustrated,the area A6 and the area A7 overlap the gate driver GD1. The area A8 andthe area A9 overlap the gate driver GD2.

The same effect as that produced from the fifth modification can beproduced from the sixth modification. Further, the source driver SD andthe gate drivers GD1 and GD2 are arranged directly below the area A1,and therefore the thickness of the display device DSP can be reduced.

(Seventh Modification)

FIG. 18 is a development view showing the seventh modification of thedisplay panel PNL. FIG. 18 is an enlarged view of the area A6. Theseventh modification differs from the sixth modification in that thedisplay panel PNL has an opening OP.

The opening OP is provided at the intersection CP1 of the folding linesFL1 and FL2. The sealant SE is located on the inner side from theopening OP. The opening OP is formed at least in the basements 10 and 20shown in FIG. 3. Note that the areas A7, A8 and A9 also have the samestructure.

The same effect as that produced from the sixth modification can beproduced from the seventh modification. Further, according to theseventh modification, as the opening OP is provided at the intersectionCP1, a concentration of stress caused by folds on the intersection CP1can be prevented. Therefore, the display panel PNL can be easily folded.

(Eighth Modification)

FIG. 19 is a development view showing the eighth modification of thedisplay panel PNL. The eighth modification differs from the fifthmodification in that the sealant SE and the wiring lines WL1 and WL2 arenot located in the area A1.

The sealant SE is provided in the shape of a frame across the areas A2to A9. That is, the sealant SE does not intersect the folding lines FL1to FL4 but intersects the folding lines FL9 to FL20. In the exampleillustrated, the sealant SE is provided in the shape of a substantiallyrectangular frame along the outer periphery of the display panel PNL.

The wiring line WL1 extends from the gate driver GD1 to the area A2through the area A6. That is, the wiring line WL1 intersects the foldinglines FL10, FL17 and FL9. The wiring line WL1 is located on the innerside from the sealant SE in the area A6. The wiring line WL2 extendsfrom the gate driver GD2 to the area A2 through the area A9. That is,the wiring line WL2 intersects the folding lines FL15, FL20 and FL16.The wiring line WL2 is located on the inner side from the sealant SE inthe area A9.

FIG. 20 is an enlarged plan view of the area A6 shown in FIG. 19. Here,the wiring line WL1 and the sealant SE are not illustrated.

A plurality of wiring lines WL4 (WL4 a, WL4 b, WL4 c, . . . ) are formedin the area A6. These wiring lines WL4 may supply different signals insome cases. That is, the potential of the wiring line WL4 a and thepotential of the wiring line WL4 b may be different from each other insome cases. The wiring lines WL4 are arranged at intervals in theextension direction of the folding line FL17 in the area A6. In theexample illustrated, the wiring line WL4 is arranged parallel to theadjacent wiring line WL4. In other words, the wiring line WL4 a and thewiring line WL4 b do not intersect each other in an area overlapping thefolding line FL17. That is, a multilayer structure of the wiring lineWL4 a and the wiring line WL4 b is not formed in an area in which thedisplay panel PNL is folded 180 degrees.

FIG. 21 is a sectional view taken along line E-F of FIG. 19. Here, onlyelements necessary for explanation are illustrated, and some elementssuch as insulating layers are omitted.

The display panel PNL includes an insulating layer 14 in addition to thebasement 10, the basement 20, the insulating layer 111, the insulatinglayer 112, the insulating layer 12, the sealant SE, the liquid crystallayer LC, the spacer PS and the wiring line WL1.

In the example illustrated, the insulating layer 14 is located betweenthe insulating layer 112 and the insulating layer 12 thoroughly betweenthe edge E2 a and the edge E3 a. The insulating layer 14 is formed of anorganic material such as polyimide, for example. The insulating layer 14is provided in areas overlapping at least the folding lines FL9, FL17and FL10.

The wiring line WL1 extends from the area A3 to the area A2 through thearea A6. That is, the wiring line WL1 intersects the folding lines FL10,FL17 and FL9. In the example illustrated, the wiring line WL1 is formedon the insulating layer 14 and is covered with the insulating layer 12across the areas A3, A6 and A2. That is, the wiring line WL1 entirelycontacts an organic material except an area in which a contact hole isformed.

According to the eighth modification, the wiring lines WL1 and WL2 andthe sealant SE are not located in the area A1. Therefore, the frame ofthe display device DSP can be further narrowed. Further, the wiring lineWL1 is located between the insulating layer 12 and the insulating layer14 which are formed of organic materials. Therefore, even if the displaypanel PNL is folded at 180 degrees, disconnection of the wiring line WL1can be prevented. Further, the wiring lines WL4 arranged in the area A6do not overlap each other at least on the folding line FL17. Therefore,a concentration of stress on an area folded at 180 degrees can bemoderated.

(Ninth Modification)

FIG. 22 is a sectional view showing the ninth modification of thedisplay panel PNL. The ninth modification differs from the example shownin FIG. 3 in that the display panel PNL includes an organic EL elementas a display element.

FIG. 22 is a sectional view of the area A1 shown in FIG. 2. The displaypanel PNL is composed of the first substrate SUB1 and the secondsubstrate SUB2. In the example illustrated, a protective member PP isprovided below the first substrate SUB1.

The first substrate SUB1 includes a basement 30, the switching elementsSW (SW1, SW2 and SW3), a reflective layer RL, organic EL elements OLED(OLED1, OLED2 and OELD3), the protective member PP, etc.

The basement 30 is formed of an organic insulating material such aspolyimide, for example. An insulating layer 31 is formed on the basement30. The insulating layer 31 may include a barrier layer which preventsentry of moisture, etc., from the basement 30 to the organic EL elementsOLED. The insulating layer 31 may be omitted.

The switching elements SW are formed on the insulating layer 31. Eachswitching element SW is composed of a thin-film transistor (TFT), forexample. The switching element SW is a top-gate transistor in theexample illustrated but may be a bottom-gate transistor. As an exampleof the structure, the structure of the switching element SW1 will bedescribed below.

The switching element SW1 includes the semiconductor layer SC, the gateelectrode WG, the source electrode WS and the drain electrode WD.

The semiconductor layer SC is formed on the insulating layer 31 and iscovered with an insulating layer 32. The gate electrode WG is formed onthe insulating layer 32 and is covered with an insulating layer 33. Thesource electrode WS and the drain electrode WD are formed on theinsulating layer 33. The source electrode WS and the drain electrode WDcontact the semiconductor layer SC in contact holes which penetrate theinsulating layer 33 down to the semiconductor layer SC.

The gate electrode WG is formed of a metal material such as aluminum(A1), titanium (Ti), silver (Ag), molybdenum (Mo), tungsten (W), copper(Cu) or chromium (Cr) or an alloy of these metal materials, etc., andmay have a single layer structure or a multilayer structure. As thematerial of the source electrode WS and the drain electrode WD, theabove-described metal materials are applicable. The insulating layers 31to 33 are formed of an inorganic insulating material such as siliconoxide, silicon nitride or silicon oxynitride.

The switching element SW1 is covered with an insulating layer 34. Theinsulating layer 34 is formed of a transparent organic insulatingmaterial such resin, for example.

The organic EL elements OLED are formed on the insulating layer 34. Inthe example illustrated, each organic EL element OLED is the so-calledtop emission type organic EL element which emits light to the oppositeside to the basement 30 but not necessarily limited to this example andmay be the so-called bottom emission type organic EL element which emitslight to the basement 30 side. The organic EL element OLED1 iselectrically connected to the switching element SW1, the organic ELelement OLED2 is electrically connected to the switching element SW2,and the organic EL element OLED3 is electrically connected to theswitching element SW3. All the organic EL elements OLED1 to OLED3 havethe same structure. An example of the structure, the structure of theorganic EL element OLED1 will be described below.

The organic EL element OLED1 is composed of a pixel electrode PE1, thecommon electrode CE, and an organic light-emitting layer ORG1.

The pixel electrode PE1 is provided on the insulating layer 34. Thepixel electrode PE1 functions as, for example, the anode of the organicEL element OLED1. The pixel electrode PE1 contacts the drain electrodeWD of the switching element SW1 and is electrically connected to theswitching element SW1 in a contact hole provided in the insulating layer34. The organic light-emitting layer ORG1 is formed on the pixelelectrode PE1. The organic light-emitting layer ORG1 may further includean electron-injection layer, a hole-injection layer, anelectron-transport layer, a hole-transport layer, etc., to improve lightemission efficiency. The common electrode CE is formed on the organiclight-emitting layer ORG1. The common electrode CE functions as, forexample, the cathode of the organic EL element OLED1. The commonelectrode CE and the pixel electrodes PE are formed of a transparentconductive material such as indium tin oxide (ITO) or indium zinc oxide(IZO). The organic EL element OLED1 structured as described above emitslight at luminous intensity in accordance with voltage (current) appliedbetween the pixel electrode PE1 and the common electrode CE.

As shown in FIG. 22, in the case of a top-emission type organic ELelement, the organic EL element OLED1 should preferably include thereflective layer RL between the insulating layer 34 and the pixelelectrode PE1. The reflective layer RL is formed of a highly reflectivemetal material such as silver. A reflective surface of the reflectionlayer RL, that is, a surface of the reflection layer RL on the organiclight-emitting layer ORG1 side may be flat as shown in the drawing ormay have recesses and projections to have light diffusion properties.

For example, the organic light-emitting layer ORG1 provided in theorganic EL element OLED1 emits blue light, an organic light-emittinglayer ORG2 provided in the organic EL element OLED2 emits green light,and an organic light-emitting layer ORG3 provided in the organic ELelement OLED3 emits red light. The organic EL elements OLED arepartitioned with an insulating layer (rib) 35 formed of an organicinsulating material. That is, the organic light-emitting layers ORG1,ORG2 and ORG3 contact the pixel electrodes PE1, PE2 and PE3 between theinsulating layer 35 and the insulating layer 35. Although not shown inthe drawing, the organic EL elements OLED should preferably be sealedwith a transparent sealing film.

The second substrate SUB2 includes a basement 40, a color filter layer220, etc. The basement 40 is formed of an organic insulating materialsuch as polyimide, for example. The basement 40 may include an opticalfilm, a polarizer, etc.

The color filter layer 220 is arranged on an inner surface 40A side ofthe basement 40. The color filter layer 220 includes a color filter CF1,a color filter CF2 and a color filter CF3. The color filters CF1, CF2,and CF3 are formed of resin materials of different colors. For example,the color filter CF1 is a blue color filter, the color filter CF2 is agreen color filter, and the color filter CF3 is a red color filter. Thecolor filter layer 220 may further include a white or transparent colorfilter. The color filters CF1, CF2, and CF3 are opposed to the organicEL elements OLED1, OLED2, and OLED3, respectively. The color filters maybe omitted.

The first substrate SUB1 and the second substrate SUB2 are attached toeach other by a transparent adhesive 41 in the area A1. Further, thefirst substrate SUB1 and the second substrate SUB2 may also be attachedto each other by a sealant which surrounds the adhesive 41 in thenon-display areas in addition to the adhesive 41.

The same effect as that produced from the example shown in FIG. 3 can beproduced from the ninth modification.

In the present embodiment, the liquid crystal element LC and the organicEL element OLED correspond to the display element. The basement 10 andthe basement 30 correspond to the first basement. The area A1corresponds to the first area, the area A2 corresponds to the secondarea, and the area A3 corresponds to the third area. Further, the areaA6 corresponds to the fourth area. The folding line FL1 corresponds tothe first folding line, the folding line FL2 corresponds to the secondfolding line, the folding line FL5 corresponds to the third foldingline, and the folding line FL6 corresponds to the fourth folding line.Still further, the folding line FL17 corresponds to the fifth foldingline. The source driver SD corresponds to the first driver, and the gatedriver GD2 corresponds to the second driver. The edge E2 a correspondsto the first edge, and the edge E3 a corresponds to the second edge. Themounting portion MT1 corresponds to the first mounting portion, and themounting portion MT2 corresponds to the second mounting portion. Thewiring line WL1 corresponds to the first wiring line. The wiring lineWL4 a corresponds to the second wiring line, and the wiring line WL4 bcorresponds to the third wiring line. The sealant SE corresponds to aframe body. The insulating layer 12 corresponds to the first organicinsulating layer, and the insulating layer 14 corresponds to the secondorganic insulating layer. The reserve display area B2 corresponds to thefirst reserve display area, and the reserve display area B3 correspondsto the second reserve display area.

While certain embodiments have been described, these embodiments havebeen presented by way of example only, and are not intended to limit thescope of the inventions. Indeed, the novel embodiments described hereinmay be embodied in a variety of other forms; furthermore, variousomissions, substitutions and changes in the form of the embodimentsdescribed herein may be made without departing from the spirit of theinventions. The accompanying claims and their equivalents are intendedto cover such forms or modifications as would fall within the scope andspirit of the inventions.

What is claimed is:
 1. A display device comprising: a first basement having a first area which is a display area including a display element, and a second area and a third area which are non-display areas and are adjacent to the first area; a first folding line located at a border of the first area and the second area; and a second folding line located at a border of the first area and the third area, wherein the first folding line extends in a first direction, the second folding line extends in a second direction intersecting the first direction, the second area has a first edge on an opposite side to the first area, the third area has a second edge on an opposite side to the first area, a length of the first edge in the first direction is less than a length of the first folding line, a length of the second edge in the second direction is less than a length of the second folding line, and the first edge and the second edge are connected by a straight line without a gap.
 2. The display device of claim 1, further comprising a first driver and a second driver which drive the display element, wherein the first driver is located in the second area, and the second driver is located in the third area.
 3. The display device of claim 1, further comprising: a third folding line which is located in the second area and extends in the first direction; a fourth folding line which is located in the third area and extends in the second direction.
 4. The display device of claim 1, wherein the first edge and the second edge are located directly below the first area.
 5. The display device of claim 4, wherein the first edge and the second edge do not overlap each other.
 6. The display device of claim 1, further comprising a first driver and a second driver which drive the display element, wherein the first driver is located between the third folding line and the first edge, and the second driver is located between the fourth folding line and the second edge.
 7. The display device of claim 6, further comprising: a first mounting portion including a terminal which is electrically connected to the first driver; and a second mounting portion including a terminal which is electrically connected to the second driver.
 8. The display device of claim 1, wherein the second area does not extend beyond the second folding line in the first direction, and the third area does not extend beyond the first folding line in the second direction.
 9. The display device of claim 1, wherein the first basement has a fourth area which is adjacent to the second area and the third area, and an opening which is located at an intersection of the first folding line and the second folding line.
 10. The display device of claim 1, further comprising a first wiring line which is electrically connected to the display element, wherein the first wiring line extends from the second area to the third area through the first area.
 11. The display device of claim 10, further comprising a frame body which passes through the second area, the first area and the third area.
 12. The display device of claim 10, further comprising a first wiring line which is electrically connected to the display element, wherein the first basement has a fourth area which is adjacent to the second area and the third area, and the first wiring line passes through the fourth area.
 13. The display device of claim 12, further comprising a first organic insulating layer and a second organic insulating layer which are located at least in the fourth area, wherein the first wiring line is located between the first organic insulating layer and the second organic insulating layer in the fourth area.
 14. The display device of claim 12, further comprising: a second wiring line formed in the fourth area; a third wiring line which is formed in the fourth area and differs in electric potential from the second wiring line; and a fifth folding line located in the fourth area, wherein the second wiring line and the third wiring line do not overlap each other in an area which overlaps the fifth folding line.
 15. The display device of claim 12, further comprising a frame body which surrounds the first area and passes through the second area, the third area and the fourth area.
 16. The display device of claim 10, wherein the first folding line and the second folding line are downward folding lines.
 17. The display device of claim 10, wherein the first basement has an octagon shape.
 18. The display device according to claim 10, a sealant intersects each of the first folding line and the second folding line twice.
 19. A display device comprising: a first basement having a first area which is a display area including a display element, and a second area and a third area which are non-display areas and are adjacent to the first area; a second basement opposed to the first basement; a sealant attaching the first basement and the second basement; a liquid crystal layer located within an area surrounded by the sealant; a first folding line located at a border of the first area and the second area; and a second folding line located at a border of the first area and the third area, wherein the first folding line extends in a first direction, the second folding line extends in a second direction intersecting the first direction, the second area has a first edge on an opposite side to the first area, the third area has a second edge on an opposite side to the first area, the first edge and the second edge are connected by a straight line without a gap, a length of the first edge in the first direction is less than a length of the first folding line, a length of the second edge of in the second direction is less than a length of the second folding line, the sealant is located between the first folding line and the first edge, and between the second folding line and the second edge, and the liquid crystal layer is located between the first folding line and a first portion of the sealant which extends along the first direction, and between the second folding line and a second portion of the sealant which extends along the second direction.
 20. The display device of claim 19, wherein the sealant overlaps the first area.
 21. The display device according to claim 19, the sealant intersects each of the first folding line and the second folding line twice. 